Agencies
- Indian Army vows to punish offenders if charge is proven
Congo, Aug 14: The UN has found that its peacekeeping troops from India may have engaged in abuse and exploitation while serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply troubled by the findings.
One UN official said there may have been abuse of young girls and boys by at least 100 Indian peacekeepers. A UN statement said an internal investigation “revealed prima facie evidence” that the Indian troops in the UN’s Congo mission Monuc “may have engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse”. The cases occurred over a period of several years, a UN official said, and that the troops were now back in India.
The UN statement said Ban “reiterates, in the strongest possible terms, that such behaviour, if substantiated, is wholly unacceptable”. No further details were released of the allegations. But UN officials say the cases occurred in North Kivu province, where peacekeepers have been policing a truce between the government and militiamen.
The Indian army said Wednesday that it was investigating UN allegations its troops had engaged in sexual abuse while on peacekeeping duties in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Our inquiry is being reviewed by higher authorities and will also accommodate the findings of the UN,” army spokesman AK Mathur said. India pledged that the allegations would “be promptly and thoroughly investigated and, if proven, strict and exemplary action would be taken,” the earlier UN statement said.
India, along with Pakistan, is one of the leading troop contributors to UN peacekeeping. Indian soldiers have also been accused of trafficking in gold in DRC, while Pakistani troops have been accused of trading guns with militia they were meant to be disarming.
The vast central African country is recovering from a 1998-2003 civil war in which millions of people are believed to have died.